Praise For Officers' Pandemic Efforts

20 April 2021

The independent inspectorate of policing has commended police officers, staff and volunteers for their “exceptional dedication and commitment” to keeping people safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Services (HMICFRS) says the police service responded with “dedication and commitment” to the challenge of policing the pandemic.

Inspectors said: “Policing demonstrated its capacity for responding in an emergency.” They added that officers took “immediate and decisive” action to respond to the extreme circumstances of the pandemic.

Inspectors found that the fast-paced introduction and subsequent changes to new legislation affected some forces’ ability to produce timely and clear guidance for police officers and staff, which created difficulties for officers on the frontline.

The inspectorate acknowledged the criticism some forces faced for their interpretation of lockdown restrictions, stating they were “assured that police forces had learnt from these instances” and in general “did well” to maintain public trust.

Neil Mennie, Chair of Kent Police Federation said the report demonstrated policing’s ability to respond and adapt to significant unexpected events.

He said: “The pandemic had an impact in every area of policing and required almost every procedure and policy to change in some way. The amount of detail that needed to be considered and consulted on here in Kent alone was simply staggering.

“There can be no doubt that our members will have carried their own concerns in going about their duties, and risk to the public as well as their own families and themselves. Our members should be rightly proud of their ability to face this risk in what is ordinarily a challenging enough environment.

“I continue to make the point that all of the usual policing business didn’t disappear and on top of some very short notice COVID guidance and legislation that officers managed.

“However we are not done yet and there are likely to be significant demands as we ‘unlock’ into the summer and beyond.

“There needs to be a tangible recognition of officers’ efforts by government going forward, but I fear it will quickly be consigned to history. The ramifications and impact on officers and families will last for some time and this will not be as simple as passing a ‘calendar date’.

“The language in the report and others produced recently is welcome. Those who have been quick to offer criticism of the police during this period and around specific events should reflect on it given the difficult balance that policing got right almost all of the time.

“Sadly I doubt they will and we will continue on to perform our duties – and not from an armchair.”

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr, commented: “Overall, the police rose to the challenge with dedication and commitment by taking immediate and decisive action to keep people safe and prevent crime, while also learning lessons from the rare occasions that they got it wrong.”

The HMICFRS report is based on an inspection of policing between March and November 2020. See it in full here: www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/news/news-feed/police-generally-responded-well-to-exceptional-circumstances-of-pandemic/